Means for putting on a shoe construction



June 30,

2 Sheets-Sheet .L

Filed March 17, 1969 l N VE N T 02 Gear 6 .5. amcrel 7 June 30, 197.0 G.s. DAME-REL 3,517,866

MEANS FOR PUTTING ON A SHOE CONSTRUCTION Filed Mai-ch 17, 1969 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,517,866 MEANS FOR PUTTING ON ASHOE CONSTRUCTION George S. Damerel, 486 S. Main St.,

Crown Point, Ind. 46307 Filed Mar. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 807,648 Int. Cl.A47j 51/02 U.S. Cl. 223-111 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amechanism for putting on a shoe construction such as overshoescomprising an upstanding arm situated at the rear of the construction.The arm includes an upper end engageable by the heel of a shoe or footas it moves into the construction. Upon engagement by the heel, the armpivots in response to forward movement'of the heel and a component oflateral force is developed. This force provides for smooth butnoticeably forcible entry of the toe into the shoe construction andallows correspondingly easy entry of the heel.

This invention relates to a mechanism for use in putting on shoeconstructions.

It is 'well known that shoe constructions can be difi'icult to put on.For example, overshoes must often be stretched by hand so that the shoeof a person can be fit into the overshoe, and so that the overshoe willfit relatively snugly when the stretching force is removed. With respectto any type of shoe construction, a person must usually bend over orotherwise situate himself to reach the shoe with his hands. This cancreate problems for older persons or for persons with certain types ofailments, and is a general nuisance for everyone.

This invention will be particularly described with reference to puttingon overshoes. As will be more fully explained, however, the invention isgenerally applicable to shoe constructions which have the capability ofstretching, or which can be forcibly deformed to permit entry of thefoot or shoe of the wearer, and which will be restored to a snuglyfitting position upon removal of the force.

Previous attempts have been made to provide shoes which can be put onwith relative ease. For example, overshoe constructions are described inSchovee Pat. No. 3,283,423, Owings Pat. No. 3,146,535 and Ruane Pat. No.2,815,588. The patentees recognize the nuisance of putting on shoeconstructions and seek to provide means to simplify this procedure.

It has been found that prior attempts to provide a more convenient shoeconstruction are not satisfactory for various reasons. In someinstances, the techniques proposed have simply not been suitable fromthe standpoint of permitting free entry of the shoe of the wearer sothat the wearer must still stoop down and use his fingers to put on theconstruction. Other designs which provide satisfactory entry do notprovide means for holding the overshoe in place once the wearers shoehas been inserted. Thus, an overshoe, to be satisfactory, must fitsnugly around the wearers shoe since otherwise the overshoe would flopwhile the person is walking. Finally, some constructions providemechanical arrangements which prove to be too expensive for practicaluse.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a unique mechanismwhich provides for putting on overshoes or other shoe constructions in ahighly satisfactory fashion.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a mechanismwhich can be easily and conveniently associated with shoe constructionsand which is character izcd by a highly reliable operating structure sothat the shoe constructions can be put on with a minimum ofinconvenience.

These and other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter and forpurposes of illustration, but not of limitation, the specificembodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view in section illustrating one form of mechanism ofthis invention associated with a rubber and in the position assumedduring initial entry of a shoe;

FIG. 2 is a side view in section illustrating the combination of FIG. 1just prior to complete entry of a shoe;

FIG. 3 is a side view in section illustrating the mechanism after theshoe is in place;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 withthe stiffener portion shown in section;

FIG. 5 is a vertical, sectional view of the mechanism taken about theline 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view illustrating a hingeconnection in the mechanism;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a side view in section illustrating an alternative form of theinvention;

FIG. 9 is a side view in section illustrating an additional alternativeform of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a side view in section illustrating one form of the inventionin association with a boot; and

FIG. 11 is a side view in section illustrating a further alternativeform of the invention.

This invention relates to an improved mechanism for use in associationwith shoe constructions so that the construction can be easily put on.The mechanism includes as a basic element a pivotally connected armwhich is situated in the heel portion of the construction. In using theconstruction, the toe is first inserted and the upper end of the arm isthen engageable by the heel as the heel moves downwardly for entry intothe construction. As pivoting movement of the arm occurs, a graduallyincreasing component of lateral force is developed. The lateral force issuflicient to provide forcible entry of the toe into the shoeconstruction, and preferably the construction stretches so that the heelentering the con- Struction will clear the back edge of theconstruction. Continued downward movement of the heel into theconstruction will cause the arm to pivot beyond a critical point atwhich time the arm rapidly releases, and the shoe construction willreturn to its normal position whereby the shoe construction -will fitsnugly.

The invention is particularly applicable to overshoes since these arecommonly made of stretchable materials and since they are widelyrecognized as being something of a nuisance to put on. It will beappreciated, however, that the concepts of the invention could beapplied even where a person desires to put on slippers or other shoeconstructions without any shoe already being on the foot. In addition,the invention is applicable to overshoes or other shoe constructionswhere the toe can be forced into position and the heel is moved intoproper position when released by the arm with a minimum ofinconvenience.

FIG. 1 illustrates a rubber 10 comprising a conventional designincluding a toe portion 12 and heel portion 14. A mechanism 16 isinserted in the construction to facilitate the entry of the shoe 18 intothe construction.

The mechanism 16 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 through 7. This mechanismcomprises a stilfener element 20 which has outer contours permitting itslocation adjacent the inside surface of the heel portion 14. Thestiffener 20 defines a bottom wall 22 which in turn defines a cut out24. A hinge 26 is secured at the inside end of the cut out portion 24.

The hinge 26 provides for pivotal mounting of an arm 28. A spring 30includes a pair of arms which bear against the bottom wall 22 of thestiffener. An upper portion 32 of the spring bears against the underside of the arm 28, and the spring sections are normally forced apartwhereby the arm 28 is normally situated in the upright position shown inFIGS. 1, and 7.

The upper end of the arm 28 defines a hinged portion 34, and this hingedportion provides means for engaging the heel 36 of a shoe as shown inFIG. 1. When the hinged portion 34 is first engaged by a heel, the forceapplied is substantially vertical. As the shoe moves forward, agradually increasing lateral component of force is developed. This forceprovides for entry of the toe into the overshoe, and it is important tonote that the force is sufficient to accomplish this even where the vampof the overshoe is substantial and offers significant resistance.

Where the overshoe is stretchable, the combination also provides forstretching of the rubber to develop clearance for entry of the shoe intothe rubber. Specifically, the vertical component of force tends to holdthe heel portion of the rubber against the floor or ground while theforward end of the shoe applies stretching force. This combined verticaland lateral action is best illustrated in FIG. 2. It Will, of couse, beappreciated that the heel portion need not be held completely stationarysince some stretching forces can definitely result in rearward movementof the heel portion as well as in forward movement of the toe portion.The important factor is that the heel and toe move relative to eachother to provide clearance for the heel of a shoe entering the rubber.

FIG. 3 illustrates the unique character of the invention in that acompletely satisfactory fit of the rubber is accomplished. Thus, therubber fits snugly particularly in the heel area so that it will becomfortable when the wearer is walking. In addition, the mechanism ofthis invention is moved to a position, particularly where the cut out 24is provided, such that an undesirable lump is not created. Thus, themechanism can be worn without any adverse reaction on the part of thewearer.

The stiffener arrangement is particularly important when the mechanismis inserted in an overshoe of conventional design. The stiffener holdsthe heel portion of the rubber in a sufilciently open position to permitentry of the shoe, and the possibility of an individual stepping down onthe top edges of the rubber is substantially eliminated. The provisionof the wings 21 on opposite sides of the stiffener is particularlyimportant in this regard. The wings engage the side walls duringinsertion of the shoe. Furthermore, the heel, even if it brazes an edgeof the rubber during entry, will not bend the edge over and disrupt theclearance provided by the stretching action.

As indicated, the stiffener is of particular value Where the mechanismis utilized as an insert in a conventional overshoe. Where theprinciples of the invention are incorporated in a newly designed shoe,the stiffening feature may be built directly into the shoe withappropriate connections being provided for the arm and spring.

In order to insure proper engagement of the overshoe counter of therubber with the back of the shoe, the back wall of the stiffener definesa substantial opening 37. This open area should be as large as practicalbut the connection between the wings must be strong enough to preventthe wings from bending toward each other under pressure. When the shoeis in place within the rubber, the rubber will tend to stretch acrossthe opening 37, and provide engagement with the rear surface of the shoeto thereby increase the snugness of fit.

The hinged end 34 on the arm 28 is particularly desirable for preventinglocking of the upper end of the arm relative to the heel of the shoebeing inserted.

l Thus, the hinged end holds the end of the arm in spaced relation withthe heel to provide rapid release when the shoe being inserted hascleared the heel portion of the overshoe.

FIG. 8 illustrates a form of the invention which can be employed inconjunction with a so-called toe rubber. It will be appreciated thatwith this type of rubber, the toe portion of the shoe is located verynear the end of the rubber when the toe is first inserted. Accordingly,the amount of force needed for positioning the toe is reduced, and theforce applied, therefore, serves primarily to produce relative movementbetween the toe and heel portions of the overshoe.

The construction of FIG. 8 comprises a stiffener 20 and an arm 38pivotally connected at 40. The spring 42 normally maintains the arm inthe upright position, and the arm is adapted to pivot in opposition tothe spring when a shoe is inserted. It will be noted that the pivot axisof the arm is at the juncture of the bottom and back wall of the rubber.The position of this axis can vary considerably as suggested in FIG. 1and may even be located above the bottom wall and attached to the backwall.

The heel 36 of the shoe shown in FIG. 8 will engage the top end of thearm 38 at an intermediate point rather than at the junction between theshank and heel. This engagement imparts combined vertical and lateralforce in the manner described, and suflicient stretching will occur toprovide clearance, and to provide a snug fit once the shoe is in place.

The modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 provide ameans for automatically putting on shoe constructions which otherwisepresent difficulties. FIG. 9 illustrates a storm rubber 44 which ischaracterized by a particularly long front portion designed to protectsubstantially all of the lace portion of a shoe. This reduces theentrance opening into the rubber and, accordingly, this type of rubberis much harder to put on.

The mechanism 46 comprises a stiffener 48 and a pair of hinges at 50.The arms comprise a first amn 52 and a second arm 54. The first arm isheld in the upright position by means of a spring having an uppersection 56 and a lower section 58. A second spring 60 is provided forthe arm 54.

When a shoe is inserted in the rubber 44, the heel 62 engages the firstarm 52 at the juncture between the heel and the shank of the shoe.Forward movement of the heel eventually results in the engagement of theupper end of the arm 54 at the intermediate point on the heel bottom.This action builds up sufficient force to force the toe of the shoe intothe rubber despite the considerable opposition of the vamp section 45.

The combination of arms 52 and 54 is desirable since the longer arm neednot extend above the top edge of the shoe as far as the arm 28 ofFIG. 1. Thus, with this combination, the longer arm 52 is initiallyengaged and serves to provide forward thrust for a portion of the travelof the shoe as it is forced into the toe socket. The shorter arm 54takes over at an intermediate time to provide additional forward thrustwhen the pressure on the upper end of the arm 52 is released.

A flexible link 61 comprising a cord or similar device may be connectedbetween the arms 52 and 54 to limit the spread of the arms duringoperation.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 10, the mechanism 46 is associated witha boot 64. The boot 64 may be of substantially conventional design;however, only the bottom section of the boot need be formed ofstretchable material since the forces applied will act in essentiallythe same way as is the case with a rubber. The upper section 66 may beformed of fabric or other non-stretchable material, and this is adesirable modification where the fabric is relatively stiff so that thetop of the boot will normally remain in the upright position. The shoeof a wearer can then be initially inserted without the need for holdingthe upper part of the boot to permit initial entry of the shoe. Ifdesired, a wire ring 68 or other additional means may be employed formaintaining the form of the boot for facilitating the objects of thisinvention.

The mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 11 is quite similar to the mechanismillustrated in FIG. 8. In this case, however, a separate element 72 ispivotally connected at 74 to the upstanding arm 76. The lower end 78 ofthe arm 72 engages the rubber at the crease which is formed to definethe extent of the heel portion of the rubber. A bumper plate 73 may bepositioned at this juncture to reduce wear or tearing of the rubber whenpressure is applied by the end of the arm 72.

A spring or elastic connection 79 extends between the pivotal connection75 for the arm 76 and the end 78 of the element 72. This spring normallymaintains the arm 76 in the upright position. When force is applied, thearm 76 acts in the manner "described; however, the arm 72 providesadditional stretching action by displacing the heel material asillustrated by the dotted lines.

One of the most advantageous features of the invention relates to theease with which the various mechanisms can be used. Where the mechanismsare provided as an insert, they can be located in a shoe without anysecuring means required. If desired, a pressure-sensitive adhesive orother means for holding the insert in place could be utilized; however,this is not necessary for the operation of the mechanisms.

The mechanisms are also capable of being readily incorporated into shoeconstructions as they are manufactured. In this connection, the parts ofthe mechanism are few and of very basic design so that little expense isinvolved over and above the basic cost of an overshoe or otherconstruction.

The mechanisms are highly convenient when used, particularly sincevirtually no training is required to employ the mechanisms. Thus, aperson need only insert the toe of his shoe into a rubber or otherovershoe and then move his foot forward in a natural way. The fact thata vertical component of force is involved is quite important since thisforce hold the overshoe substantially stationary as the overshoe is puton. Although some detailed description of the forces developed has beenprovided, in actual operation, an overshoe is put on in a single motionin virtually instantaneous fashion. Thus, the wearer is not at allconscious of the operation of the mechanism once the toe is inserted inan overshoe and the heel engaged in the manner described. Only one footis used when the overshoe is put on so that there is no significantproblem from the standpoint of maintaining balance.

Although the action involved in using the inventive concepts differsdepending upon the type .of overshoe or other shoe constructioninvolved, there are certain important common features. In all instances,the person putting on the construction merely needs to aim the front ofthe foot into the shoe construction opening and the foot will then beautomatically positioned by means of the upwardly extending arm. Thus,the location of the arm is such that one can hardly avoid properengagement with the arm when simply aiming his shoe into the openingprovided by an overshoe.

The positioning of the forepart of the shoe relative to an overshoe ischaracteristic of all constructions. In some instances, substantialforce is developed to achieve forci ble entry into the toe section ofthe overshoe, while in other cases, the foot is very nearly in theproper position when initially entering the shoe construction and,therefore, there is no need for a great deal of transverse force fromthe standpoint of toe positioning.

Where considerable relative displacement of a heel construction ispossible, for example where stretchable materials characterized the shoeconstruction, then this act will take place in the next stage ofoperation. When the overshoe heel has been sufficiently displaced, theshoe being inserted will rapidly descend into the overshoe to clear theheel portion of the overshoe. Only then does the mechanism provide quickrelease so that the shoe will be located in its final position.

The stiffener construction plays an important role in the operationsdescribed, particularly the wings 21. These wings serve to hold the sidewalls of the overshoe erect for easy toe insertion, and they preventcollapse of the walls during stretching. The forwardly extendingportions of the stilfener which define the cut out 24 function toprevent the stiifener from tilting forward.

As indicated, the location of the hinge for the pivotally mounted armcan vary. In this connection, a plurality of sockets for the arm couldbe provided at different locations so that the arm could be adjusted toparticular needs.

The mechanism provides ideal holding-on capability because of the cutout 37 which permits snug engagement of the upper edge of the rubberaround the back of the shoe. 'In this connection, the mechanism actuallyallows for improvement in holding capability since the shoe can be moreeasily inserted into what would otherwise be considered undersizedovershoes.

The exterior appearance of the overshoes is not at all altered when theovershoes are worn. On the other hand, the mechanism is unobtrusive whenthe overshoes are oil the feet. In a typical embodiment of theinvention, the arm of FIG. 1 and the longer arm of FIG. 9 extends aboutli /z inches above the edge of a rubber. Where the mechanism isassociated with a toe rubber, an extension of about /1 inch above thetop edge of the rubber is 'suflicient.

The structures illustrated may, of course, be modified in various wayswhile achieving the objects of the invention. The hinge arrangement ofFIG. 1 could, for example be dispensed with, particularly by providing asomewhat fiexible, curved upper end of the type shown in (FIG. 9. It isimportant simply to provide a suitable design for catching the heel andfor maintaining engagement until the lateral force is sufiicient toprovide clearance.

The stiifener and arm means could be molded as a single piece, and thehinge means formed by known techniques used with materials such aspolypropylene. Various stiffener designs are contemplated which coulddepart from the contoured design shown, particularly where the materialof the shoe construction provides some stiifness.

An overshoe design in accordance with this invention can be removed justas easily as a conventional design. In this connection, the mechanismwill automatically assume its original position when the overshoe isremoved so that it can be automatically put back on.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madein the above described construction which provide the characteristics ofthis invention without departing from thet spirit thereof particularlyas defined in the following claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. The improvement in a mechanism for putting on a shoe constructionhaving a toe area, a heel portion, a bottom wall and upstanding back andside walls, said mechanism comprising an arm situated in the heelportion of the construction, said arm being located within said wallsand being movable relative to said back and side walls, means fornormally holding said arm in a generally upright position relative tosaid walls, said arm having an upper end, said arm normally extendingupwardly from the bottom wall a distance such that said upper end isengageable by a heel being inserted as the heel is pressed downwardlyduring movement into the. construction, said holding means beingyieldable to permit movement of said arm in response to such engagement,the opposite end of said arm being pivotally connected at the bottom ofsaid construction whereby said arm pivots as the heel being insertedmoves forward, forward thrust being developed 7 to force the toe beinginserted into position relative to the front of the shoe constructionand to position the heel being inserted in the heel portion of theconstruction.

2. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said shoe constructionis formed at least in part of resilient material and wherein a largecomponent of horizontally directed force is developed causing stretchingof the construction whereby the heel portion of the construction isdisplaced relative to the toe portion to provide a clear path for entryof the heel being inserted, and wherein said shoe construction returnsfrom the stretched condition after the heel being inserted is positionedin the shoe.

3. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 including a stiffener attachedto the bottom end of said arm, said stiffener holding the constructionwalls spaced-apart to facilitate initial toe insertion, and retainingsaid walls in an uncollapsed state during the insertion operation.

4. A construction in accordance, with claim 3 wherein said stiffenercomprises upstanding wing portions in engagement with the side walls ofthe construction in the area of the heel portion.

*5. A construction in accordance with claim 4 wherein said wing portionsof said stiffener are disposed in spaced apart relationship to therebydefine a substantially open area in the rear portion of the stiffenerwhereby the back wall of the shoe construction engages the heel insertedafter the heel is positioned in the shoe construction.

6. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said arm has anintermediate point, and including a lower transversely extending memberpivotally connected to said arm at said intermediate point, a forwardlylocated upstanding wall portion defining a forward position in said heelportion, said lower member having an outer end portion engaging saidforward position of said heel portion, said lower member operating toapply a transverse component of force during insertion to facilitateheel insertion, and including a plate at said forward position of saidheel portion for engagement by said outer end portion of said lowermember, and wherein said outer end portion is adapted to slide over saidplate for bearing contact therewith and is released from bearing contactwith said plate at the completion ofthe insertion operation.

7. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said shoe constructioncomprises a rubber having an upper edge and wherein said arm extendsupwardly beyond the upper edge of the rubber, said upper end of the armbeing engageable at the juncture of the heel and shank of a shoe beinginserted into the rubber.

'8. A mechanism in accordance with claim 7 wherein said arm extends overthe upper edge of the rubber, and including a second arm extendingupwardly a distance less than said first arm, the upper end of saidsecond arm adapted to engage the bottom surface of said heel beinginserted at a point behind said juncture after the upper end of saidfirst arm is engaged in the course of movement of said heel beinginserted into the construction.

9. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said shoe constructioncomprises a 'boot having an ankle section extending upwardly as acontinuation of said back and side walls, means for holding the anklesection of the boot in an upright position so that a shoe can beinserted without holding the boot, and wherein said upper end of the armis engageable at the juncture of the heel and shank of a shoe beinginserted into the boot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 33,456 10/1861 Worden Q 223ll83,026,635 3/1962 Slade 367.3 3,146,535 9/1964 Owings 367.3 3,280,48510/1966 Arnold 36-7.3 3,283,423 11/1966 Schovee 36 7.3

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 223118

